Lists
by ChancellorPuddinghead
Summary: Elizaveta organizes her thoughts about her two loves. Some AusHun, mostly PruHun. Twoshot.
1. Chapter 1

**Lists**

_Roderich Edelstein,_ she writes. After a moment, she rubs out _Edelstein._

_Kind_

_Loving_

_Romantic_

_Talented_

_Intelligent_

_Loyal_

"No," she mumbles. She knows the reason she's doing this is to be honest. With a sigh, she crosses out _Kind._

He's only kind to those equal in status to him. He wouldn't be so kind to her if she weren't in private school, if she were one of the public-school slobs he has no patience or respect for.

Then…does he really love her, she wonders? Is it all for social and monetary gain?

No. She knows with all her heart that he would not use her. He is not a liar. She adds _Honest_ to the list, a soft smile on her face.

But does that count as loving? He's not one to show his affection. He's taken her on a couple dates, but sometimes the awkward, silent air nearly crushed her. His way of asking her out was through a friend of hers. He's never given her flowers or chocolates, not like…

_No,_ she commands herself. _He doesn't come until later._

Shaking her head a bit to rid herself of such thoughts, she brings herself back to the task at hand. Is he loving?

Well, he loves her. She knows that for a fact. That has to count for something. But with another resigned sigh, she crossed out _Romantic. _She nods solidly, moving on.

No one can deny that he is talented and intelligent, not even his many enemies. He's at his highest point when he sits down at the piano. She loves the way his long, pale fingers slip delicately across the ivory keys, creating beautiful melodies as they work. It's a favorite pastime of hers to simply watch him practice.

_Loyal._ _Honest._ There's no hesitation in her mind as she passes the two over. He's never even glanced at another woman since they began dating. He's only had eyes for her; it makes her feel even guiltier for what she's about to do.

_Gilbert_

_Stubborn_

_Moronic_

_Idio_

She stopped, realizing that those weren't _good_ things. She erased it and tried again.

_Funny_

She paused. Why was it so difficult to think up good things about Gilbert? Certainly, this wretched attraction couldn't be based solely on the fact that he could make her laugh.

_He's kind,_ she thought. It was true; she'd seen him care for his bird like it was the most precious thing in the world. He was the only one who'd bothered to remember that one kid's name. At his public school, he was popular, but it was based almost solely on looks. Besides that, he was a player, one of the three womanizers in the school; they called themselves the Bad Touch Trio. They were close, and they'd never betray one another.

_Kind _and _Loyal_ are added to the list.

A thought hits her. Why hadn't she thought of it before? _Romantic_ is scribbled down. Because, despite her repeated rejections to his advances, he's always been the one to give her flowers, the one to walk her home after school (even though her school is a mile out of his way), the one to comfort her in times of need. The one time she's cried around Roderich, it was awkward. He'd patted her on the back a bit, but he couldn't give her much comfort. And she'd never dare complain around the high-class boy; it wasn't ladylike.

No, Gilbert's the one she can be herself around. She never has to worry about sitting up straight or keeping her emotions locked in around him. She's cried twice around Gilbert, and both times he'd made her feel a thousand times better. Her complaints always go to him, even – no, especially when they're about Roderich.

She could forget about being a lady around him. She could let loose and be free. And it was almost never awkward around Gilbert.

_Freeing_

_Forgiving_

_Allowing_

It was difficult to describe well, she notes as she crosses out all three, but she knows that's why she loves him. He doesn't make her be someone she's not.

_It's what he was trying to tell me all along,_ she realizes. _When he said Roderich wasn't good for me._

Pushing the thoughts out of her mind, she looks over the list.

_Gilbert_

_Funny_

_Kind_

_Romantic_

_Freeing_

_Forgiving_

_Allowing_

Finally finding the right words, she adds _Loves me and not a lady._

_Is that all?_ she wonders. _There's got to be at least one more._

_Understanding._ He knows her better than she knows herself. It's how he was so easily able to comfort her. He had been able to tell she was upset from the moment he saw her; she'd had to tell Roderich.

Looking both lists over one last time, she knows what she has to do. It won't be easy to lose Roderich. She still loves him, and he, of course, still loves her. But…

She could never be happy with Roderich when she could have Gilbert. And she believes Gilbert loves her more than Roderich ever could.

With finality, she folds the paper neatly and tosses it gently into the trash. She texts Roderich.

_Meet me in the courtyard before school._

After a couple minutes, the reply comes.

_Alright._

She doesn't get much sleep that night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Lists**

"Eliza?" Roderich asks as he enters the courtyard. He sees her under the willow, what he knows is her favorite spot. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes…" she trails off. He wonders if she's tired. "I need…to tell you something."

"Well, what is it?" he asks. _Why is she being so roundabout with it?_

"I'd like to break up."

His breath catches. "W-what?"

"I still…I always will love you," she begins.

"Then why?"

"There's someone else that I love…more."

"You…" He can't believe this. The whole time… "You were cheating on me?"

She gasps. "No, no! Nothing like that! That's why…that's why I want to break it off," she explains. "So I don't have to…cheat."

"…I see."

It's quite a bit to absorb; he takes a moment to collect his thoughts.

"Well…" he starts hesitantly, "I…suppose that is…the best way. I wish you happiness with whoever they are, Elizaveta."

He turns on his heel and leaves abruptly, trying not to show how much it hurts to hear those words, to say that he wants her to be happy with someone else. He'd hoped they would spend their lives together. Apparently, now, that wasn't going to happen.

She bows her head shamefully. He'd been nothing but loyal to her; he'd loved her, and she couldn't do the same. Still, she couldn't help but feel relieved that it had gone so well. He hadn't looked too bad when he left.

_Now,_ she thinks, _I just have to get through the school day. And then…_

x-x-x

It feels more freeing than usual to leave school on Friday, Elizaveta notes with a smile. Already, she can see Gilbert amongst the crowd of people; not hard, as he's the only one in black in this sea of red and beige. Spotting her, he waves, and she returns it with a grin.

"Hey, Liz!" he calls as she arrives. They move out of the way so people can pass.

"Hey, Gil? I've got a question to ask…" she states. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Roderich, his head down and his spirits obviously low.

"_Ja?_ What is it?"

"Um, could we talk somewhere else? Like…the park?"

It was right on the way home, and Elizaveta was a sucker for romantic cliché. It was also why she had chosen the courtyard to meet Roderich and not just her locker.

"Alright…" he agrees hesitantly, beginning to walk. "Why the park?"

"Just…just because," she tells him. He nods in understanding; he'll find out why when he gets there.

The walk is, as usual, filled with a playful back-and-forth of insults both know the other isn't serious about. It doesn't slip from his notice that she's wearing the flower clip he bought her the other day. It's odd, though; normally, she tried to return his gifts, always guilty about how she didn't feel the same way. He always makes her keep them, though, and then they end up in the back of her closet, lost and forgotten.

But this is the first time she's actually worn or used something he gave her. He wonders what the occasion is.

At the park, she leans against a tree, closing her eyes for a moment. Gilbert takes the opportunity to rest his gaze on her, marveling at how the simple pose and background could make someone already so pretty look even more beautiful.

"Gilbert," she begins, swallowing her nervousness. There's no reason to be; she has almost no chance of rejection, and she knows it. Still, she takes another anxious gulp. "I…I broke up with Roderich."

He snaps out of his slight daze, shocked. "What?"

"I realized something last night," she continues. He tells himself that he doesn't dare hope it's true, but he cannot help the elated rush of anticipation surging through him.

"I love you, Gilbert," she confesses, "more than I love Roderich."

He blinks; the information hasn't fully sunk in yet. "Uh…"

Her face falls as she takes his hesitation as rejection. _I took too long; he's lost interest in me. He's found someone else. I should've realized this earlier. Why did I-_

Her worries are halted by a pair of lips pressing against her own, a pair of hands resting on her waist. Her eyes widen in surprise for a moment, but she soon closes them and melts into the kiss, sliding her arms about his neck. It's slow and sweet; closed-mouth, but that's part of what makes it perfect.

They pull apart after a few seconds, their foreheads touching. Simultaneously, they break into grins.

"So…how'd the snob take being dumped?" he asked, smirking. Elizaveta's smile crumbles, and she turns her head away from his; her hands slip down to her chest, her fingers wrapping together anxiously. The thought shoves its way into Gilbert's head, a quickly-growing seed of doubt; she'd said "more than I love him."

"You still have feelings for him," he realizes. She nods, her chin crinkling as she attempts to keep the tears she knows are coming from showing.

The jealousy that surges through him is immediate; even after all this, he _still_ has her heart. But he pushes it down, because he knows it will be taken as anger, and that's exactly what Eliza is afraid of. Instead, he focuses on the "more."

She's chosen him; she's made that clear. Even if she loves the piano-playing prick, she still loves Gilbert more. It's a fact that he can live with. He knows she's not so stupid as to think he doesn't care about it, but it's something he can accept, at least for a while.

"…It's fine," he tells her, cradling her cheek. She whips back to him, shock apparent on her face. He continues, stammering, his face reddening from embarrassment. "I m-mean…as l-long as you chose m-me…I can…accept it."

A watery grin splits her face as they pull each other close; she buries her face in his chest as happy tears finally begin to fall. He smiles softly, resting his chin on her head.

Roderich sees them as he rides past the park, tinted black windows hiding his face from the pair. He tells himself he's happy she's happy, that the hurt he feels isn't there. Still, he is envious of the albino that holds his precious Eliza; he wonders when she will stop being at the edge of his every thought.

Gilbert sees a sleek black car ride slowly past the park; he can't see who lies inside. He does not respond, only kisses the top of Liz's head and pulls her ever closer.

x-x-x

**Ah, I love the ending; I don't know why, it's lazy and kind of crappy, but it's so cute! I'm thinking of maybe writing a when-they're-all-grown-up sort of thing. I dunno. I might, if I get bored while the teacher lectures us about listening.**


End file.
